PS 1079 
■B65 fl7 
1885 

Copy I 



JStl 1^9 ynof of f^P QPDSX. 

>S^ a ^totfi of iBasfcr lEbt. 



no iQOf; 



b Ht t|F ""dd! dP f|f Qfoss. -J* * »{« ^ 



M.t (IJP S^OOf of (|P (}P088« 



A STORY OF EASTER EVE. 



X 

Ry L. M. LANING BAYLEY. 




CHICAGO: 

JANSEN, McCLURG, & COMPANY. 

1885. 






COPYRIGHT 

By Jansen, McClurg, & Co. 
1885. 



R. R. DONNELLEY & SONS, PRINTERS. 



" Hocfe of ages, cUU fot me, 
net me f^i^t meseU in tijee.** 



(^t (^t Soot of i^t Ctoee, 



WMBER and pold \\)e sunset 

0t evenina of Easter -tide; 
Purple tlpe shadows tl^at darl^ened 

^\)e nnoss-arown mountain side; 
Screen were tl^e crocus and lily, 

^nowy tf)e lilac s bloom, 
Qnd i\)e air of tipe blus^inp spring -time 

Was Ipeavy wit[? rici? perfume. 



^^VER i\)e winding bill -side 

^tood a bomestead, old and pray ; 
0nd just beyond i\)e brool^let, 

^tat rippled and flowed away 
bike a beautiful ribbon of silver 

© er tl^e areen and nnossy sod, 
powered t^e stone cl?urcb, old and massive, 

^[?e ivy -crowned j^ouse of God. 



TN i\)e c[?urcb-yarcl, preen and quiet 

"brods-acre, solennn and blest, 
Were i\)e graves of t[?e dean departed 

Wbo \)Q(1 entered t(?eir perfect rest. 
Witpin tl^e [jouse of prayer 

blossomed tf^e Qaster flowers, 
rHal^inci of altar and cl^ancel rail 

Wonderful fairy bowers. 



ngBAUTIFUL snow-wblte lilies, 
iXinpinp fl^eir waxen bells — 

I ure as a dream of heavenly [jarps 
Wt>en i\)e\r golden melody swells. 

Green were tl^e vines of tl?e smilax, 
Orimson i\)e passion -rose, 

Qnd over all in tl^e sunset fell 
be busi? of a soft repose. 



HR0UGH tbe beautiful stoned windows, 

Witb t^eir colors so ciay and briaf^t, 
(^>\)e sun in \)\s dylnp splendor 

Riasbed a radiant flood of lia^t ; 
f)o peaceful tl?e air, so boly, 

It seemed as if Q^oSs own arace 
PRust dwell in tl?e hearts of tl^e people 

Wt>o entered t[?at sacred place. 



18 



^AH, 90W could a soul e en wander 

(^pat Ijad once found entrance i\)ere, — 
(^\)Qi \)q6 prown in ctiildfjood s innocent faiti? 

Wt tl^at cf^ancel rail in prayer ! 
but alil^e to castle nnd cottaae roof 

^00 oft comes a day of ill ; 
Wnd sorrow came witt> t[?e Baster sun 

(^)o tl^ot (?omestead over tl?e t>ill. 



15 



BN years apo tf^at Baster, 
V^\i\) ciuilt and sin in \)er breast, 
y wondrousiy beautiful nnaiden 

Had strayed fronn t[?at baven of rest ; 
Her face was a radiant vision, 

Her peart ever tljrobbina in sona, 
^ill i\)e tempter came, and sbe listened — 
Wnd life was forever wrong. 



17 



^L0SEiD was i\)e door of tfje homestead, 

Korbidden \)er once loved name ; 
^\)e fatl;jer grew stern and [gardened, 

\^\)e motl^er was crusl;)ed witf? sl^ame ; 
Qona were i\)e years and dreary 

In tj^e homestead over trje 91II ; 
riever a sound of lauafjter, 

Dut silence, solemn and cpill. 



J|©NG were ti^e years and mournful : 

(^en Qcsters canne and went, 
Defore, bowed down in repentance, 

nomeward \)er steps were bent, 
(pattered and worn \)er aarments, 

^ilvered ti^e raven [jair ; 
Witr) many a line on \\)e sunken cl^eebs 

^\)a\ were once, alas I so fair I 



^1 



rf^VER \\)e winding biH-side, — 

^icl? wit[? \)er weicibt of sin, — 
yp to tl?e door of \\)e homestead, 

Prayinp, "0b, let me in!" 
But stranaers stood at tl^e portal, 

Qnd paced tl^e fanniliar \)Ci\\ ] 
Hewer i\)e voice of a loved one 

Qnswered tljat pleadinp coll. 



23 



flftUT in f\)e mossv arave-yard 

^wo mounds tijeir story told ; 
W marble cross above i\)em, 

^traipl?t, and stately, and cold. 
In tl?e dusl^ of t^e Basten twiliaf^t 

fSbe passed tbroupb tbe l?omestead aate ; 
Spying, "0 gbrist in beaven, 

l\epentance bas come too late I 



25 



JLI® word for me of forcilveness ! 

rio word of ]\)G old-time love I 
Dead and left me forever, 

l\estinp in f?eaven above. 
mot[)er, tlje mother tl?at bore me I 

father, wl^o pave me life I 
Send me a message from l^eaven 

^o cjuiet my [heart's wild strife I 
y ot)rist, t[?ou pityinci ^avior, 

Wbo perisM tM souls mlp^t live, 
Is tl^ere no peace, no pardon ? 

threat b^-od in t'eaven, foraive I " 



87 



T|PR0NEl on tbe araves, all moss-^rown, 

Her face to \\)e around, sf^e lay ; 
Wben lo 1 in i\)e c(?urcl? sl^e f^eard tl^e c\)o\r 

O^antina for Qaster day. 
Pure was tipe melody sacred 

^\)ey Sana In tl?e oraan loft, 
Qnd it fell like bainn on tl^e bruised t>eart, 

^enderly sweet and soft. 



29 



^^MEY cf^anted i\)e Baster antbem — 

Joy for i\)e Qord set free ; 
^\)en san^ t[)at prayerful, pleadinci [?ymn — 
"Uotk of ^8^0, rieft for mr." 

It bnoupl^t to tl^e listenina mourner 

W cius[? of repentant tears, 
Wnd dasl^ed from [pen (peart tipe stony masf? 

It bad worn for ten lona years. 



31 



l^yW dare I asl? fomiveness ? 

How can I pardon aain ? — 
Wut tproual;) i\)e open casement 

nloated i\)e tender strain ; 
''(ttoultj mp ttsLXS foteber floto, 
(ttotiltj mg fcal no languor fenoto, 
Ct)is foe 0tn coul^ not atoni?; 
Ei^ou mu0t sabe, anti Cf)ou alone. 
Noti)ing in mp ^antr J firing, 
Simplg to €l)p cross 5 cling." 



flgREATHLBSS tbe mourner listened 

(^o i\)e solemn oraan strain, 
Wpile over l^er face tl^e tear-drops fell 

Qil?e tpe early summer ram. 
In a vision si^e Ijeard tl^e rustlina 

yf an anael s snowy wina : 
(^is tpe messaae from f^eaven, s\)e wl}ispered ; 
" (^o (^i\)y cross, dear ol?rist, I clina. 



HE melody ceased; and f\)e sinaers 

J^new not tbaf tfje words of prayer 
Had pone witfj t[?e sinner's soul to [?eaven, 

Qnd l^nocl^ed for admittance tl^ere. 
Wnd out from tl?e ivied casement 

fluttered a snow-w|?ite dove, 
roised on t(?e cross above l?er l?ead, 

Wn imacie of peace and love. 



87 



^ARK&R tbe sbadows falling, 

goffer tpe summer air, 
Wben tbe c[?oristers came from tlpein cbantina, 

Portl? from i[,e f^ouse of pnaver. 
4eat[? t[?e star -lit heavens t^e^ found \)er, 

(fbe dove of Peace on \)er breast; 
Witj? tbe arms of (Jod around ten, 

^l?e [?ad entered eternal rest. 
Witt) ber sins forever pardoned, 

I unped from all earthly dross, 
^be bad found, not deatb, but eternal bife, 
)bere at tbe foot of tbe 6ross. 



39 



LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 




